Dress Shapes by Decade

Many people wear boring, modern wedding dresses all the time. Talk about blah. Vintage wedding dresses are all the rage now, and on the cutting edge of fashion. To help you decide if you want to join the elite crew wearing vintage wedding dresses, we have put together a primer on the different decades, and their specific wedding dress styles.

In 1920, the dresses were typically a loose-fitting sheath. There was a narrow shoulder and no waistband; it was sack like and airy. This decade was perfect for petite, straight and apple figures. This style should work well for ladies with narrow shoulders, a small bust, any waist size, and medium or small hips.

In the 1930s, the look was more columnal. They were bias cut, revealing a woman’s curves; the dress itself was slim and narrow. This style is best for slender, straight, tall and curvy frames. It looks great on long slim frames but the curves show through on a curvy woman. Our tip? Wear smoothing undergarments to help with it.

In the 40s they focused on puffed shoulders, a sweetheart neckline, peplums, full or narrow skirts, and shorter skirt lengths. This works for curvy, hourglass, plus-sized and apple shaped women. The broad shoulders are perfect for creating an illusion of a smaller waistline.

The 50s saw a more fitted waist, with a full skirt and a princess cut. This is best for pear, curvy,hourglass, petite and plus-sized figures. Our tip? If you’re interested in a 50s dress, you might need to make a trip to the tailor. Many of these have small waists but full busts, and you might have to alter the bodice.

The 1960s style was an empire waist with long, slender skirts. These were best for apple, plus-sized, petite and straight figures. This style works well for slender arms and legs, as well as smaller busts.

Hopefully you found this guide to the different styles of vintage wedding dresses helpful! We want to make sure you find the dress of your dreams.